Five West Vancouverites – and a North Vancouverite – are being recognized for their outstanding service to the community.
On Monday, West Vancouver-Capilano MLA Karin Kirkpatrick and West Vancouver-Sea to Sky MLA Jordan Sturdy presented the honourees with the King Charles III Coronation Medal at the West Vancouver Yacht Club.
The recipients include former West Vancouver Streamkeepers president John Barker, autism advocate Jack McGee, North Vancouver school board trustee Kulvir Mann, entrepreneur Yang Wang, former West Vancouver-Capilano MLA Ralph Sultan, and North Shore Hospice and Palliative Care chair Jo-Ann Wood.
The medal was launched by Governor General Mary Simon, and is being awarded to 30,000 people who have made significant contributions across Canada.
A West Van resident for nearly 60 years, Barker has been a member of the West Vancouver Streamkeepers for two decades. In 2015, he received the Earth Day Canada’s Individual Hometown Heroes Award for his dedication to the environment, community awareness and education.
McGee is a founding board member of the Pacific Autism Family Network and the co-founder of he Autism Awareness and Techniques Program for First Responders. McGee was recognized for his advocacy with the 2021 B.C. Achievement Community Award.
Mann is the current board chair of North Vancouver District Public Library. Previously she was board chair of North Vancouver School District, vice-chair of the North Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council, chair of the Canyon Heights Parent Advisory Council, and has been an advocate for inclusive education.
President of development firm Apeiron Group, Wang was named Young Entrepreneur of the Year by West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce in 2017. An avid community volunteer, Wang sits on the board of directors for West Vancouver Police, Impact North Shore and Lions Gate Hospital Foundation.
Sultan was an associate professor at Harvard University and former chief economist at Royal Bank of Canada. After his wife’s death spurred him to pursue politics, he served five terms as MLA for West Vancouver-Capilano. He still holds the title of B.C.’s oldest-ever MLA.
A former nurse and faculty member at UBC School of Nursing, Wood is chair of the North Shore Hospice and Palliative Care Project. She’s served on multiple charitable boards, including the West Vancouver Memorial Library Foundation and West Vancouver Place for Sport. Wood was named West Vancouver Citizen of the Year in 2014.
